Tag: Smartfood

REVIEW: Smartfood Chocolate Cake Pop Popcorn

Marvo Leave a comment

Much like folks who claim Die Hard is a Christmas movie (raises hand), Smartfood seems to want to make the chocolate cake pop a holiday flavor, even though it’s one that can get slotted into any time of year.

I get it. Getting to say you were the original brand that brought the world the next pumpkin spice or peppermint mocha and have everyone else take your flavor idea and chocolate cake pop-ize every product possible is smart. But Smartfood could’ve done it a little better.

I’ve tasted a variety of chocolate cakes over the years — standard Betty Crocker/Duncan Hines chocolate cake with frosting, Hostess CupCakes, Dobash cake, German chocolate cake, chocolate blackout cake, lava cake, and chocolate birthday cupcakes from a grocery store bakery. But I don’t get a hint of flavor from any of those baked goods in the dark coating on every kernel in this bag of Smartfood Chocolate Cake Pop Popcorn. Heck, I have to reach a state of mindfulness to even notice any cocoa notes.

But that lack of pronounced chocolate cake flavor doesn’t make this unwanted, like a lump of coal or a spindle of blank CDs in your Christmas stocking. While it doesn’t scream chocolate cake or chocolate, there’s a mellow, nondescript sweetness that still makes this a decent tasting snack.

Smartfood Chocolate Cake Pop Popcorn doesn’t fail like a terrorist leader who meets his demise by falling out of a Nakatomi Plaza window. But, despite the green-colored bag with red ribbons, the brand doesn’t convince me that chocolate cake pop is a holiday flavor. It’s trying too hard to make something happen, like me shoehorning a last-minute Die Hard reference into this review to bring everything full circle.

Purchased Price: $2.49
Size: 2 oz bag
Purchased at: 7-Eleven
Rating: 6 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (about 1 cup) 140 calories, 6 grams of fat, 0.5 grams of saturated fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 65 milligrams of sodium, 20 grams of carbohydrates, less than 1 gram of fiber, 12 grams of sugar (including 12 grams of added sugar), and less than 1 gram of protein.

REVIEW: Smartfood Frank’s RedHot Popcorn

Marvo

Smartfood Frank s RedHot Popcorn

Smartfood’s Frank’s Redhot Popcorn is a limited edition flavor that’s currently exclusive to Sam’s Club. It comes in a 17-ounce bag that’ll look massive sitting on your lap as you watch something like one of the many marriage reality shows that involve not knowing what each other looks like until the wedding ceremony that I’m absolutely not into.

Much like newlyweds a few weeks into marrying someone they didn’t meet in person until their wedding day, some issues have come up after spending some meaningful time with the popcorn.

Smartfood Frank s RedHot Popcorn Closeup

First off, it doesn’t taste EXACTLY like Frank’s RedHot Sauce. I put that stuff on regular popcorn and compared it with Smartfood’s offering and thought the flavors might be cousins, but they’re not twins. While both are peppery, vinegary, and garlicky, the sauce is also slightly tomato-y, even though the vegetable is not listed as an ingredient in the sauce. To be honest, when I first tried it, I thought the snack’s flavor reminded me more of Tabasco.

Smartfood Frank s RedHot Popcorn Compare

Also, I find it odd that the popcorn is spicier than Frank’s RedHot Sauce. However, it doesn’t reach a level that requires me to stop and give my mouth a rest or have something to soothe my mouth nearby when my hand dives into the bag. Of course, your mouth may vary. While it doesn’t burn that much, for some reason, I got the same sweaty scalp and runny nose that I’ve only experienced with much spicier products. Or maybe I need to see a doctor.

While Smartfood’s Frank’s RedHot Flavored Popcorn doesn’t precisely capture the flavors of the hot sauce, it’s a tasty snack in a giant bag that my hand found itself in a lot while watching something that absolutely was not a marriage reality show.

DISCLOSURE: I received a free product sample from Smartfood. Doing so did not influence my review.

Purchased Price: FREE
Size: 17-ounce bag
Purchased at: Received from Smartfood
Rating: 7 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (about 2 1/2 cups) 150 calories, 9 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 190 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 0 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Smartfood Doritos Nacho Cheese Popcorn

Holly 13 Comments

Smartfood Doritos Nacho Cheese Popcorn Bag

What is Smartfood Doritos Nacho Cheese Popcorn?

Kicking off the year strong, Frito-Lay created a Sam’s Club exclusive variety of its popular Smartfood Popcorn that uses the classic Doritos Nacho Cheese seasoning. It offers the flavor of Nacho Cheese Doritos, but without the stained fingers you might get with the chips.

How is it?

Smartfood Doritos Nacho Cheese Popcorn Bowl

The flavor of Nacho Cheese Doritos is strongly present but without the expected crunch of the tortilla chip or corn flavor. Admittedly, it was a little jarring at first. Once my mouth and brain took a moment to adjust expectations, it was a very delicious snack. Without the chip’s corn flavor, you get a chance to really taste the different elements of the nacho cheese seasoning. The garlic, onion, and paprika shine the most, with the cheese flavor coming in subtle at the end.

Anything else you need to know?

Smartfood Doritos Nacho Cheese Popcorn Bag Back

Because this is available at Sam’s Club, the item is over 2.5 times bigger than the standard Smartfood bag. If you don’t want to open it yet, you can always use it as a lower back pillow when you’re sitting at your desk.

Conclusion:

Smartfood’s Doritos Nacho Cheese Popcorn is an all-around enjoyable item. It’s a nice blend of Smartfood Popcorn and Doritos Nacho Cheese that feels new, but familiar. I could absolutely see it being a hit at parties or as a new snack to break up the normal noshing. Hopefully, it does well enough that we get other crossover flavors in the future. Maybe some Smartfood Flamin’ Hot Dill Pickle Popcorn?

Purchased Price: $5.28
Size: 17 oz bag
Purchased at: Sam’s Club
Rating: 8 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2 1/3 cup) 160 calories, 11 grams of fat, 2 grams of saturated fat, less than 5 milligrams of cholesterol, 200 milligrams of sodium, 14 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 1 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Smartfood Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Popcorn

Sean 1 Comment

Smartfood Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Popcorn Bag

What is Smartfood Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Popcorn?

Smartfood welcomes fall with a limited time cinnamon sugar doughnut-flavored popcorn.

How is it?

I had a sinking suspicion that this popcorn was last year’s Christmas themed-Snickerdoodle Smartfood with a new name and an earlier release date — and I was 100% correct. This red and shiny bag of delight tastes identical to 2020’s green and shiny bag of delight, and I love it just as much as I loved it last year; if anything, it might be slightly better.

Smartfood Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Popcorn Pour

The doughnut dust is slightly sweet and buttery with a rich and aromatic cinnamon taste that perfectly fits next to a popcorn kernel’s earthy crunch. The pieces are uniformly coated and have a fresh snap to them, with the cinnamon sugar flavor really bursting through on each bite.

Although this is Smartfood’s second doughnut release, it’s important to note that this is not a coated corn adjacent to caramel corn (the glaze in the Krispy Kreme version) but simply a powder, like Smartfood’s classic White Cheddar.

Anything else you need to know?

Smartfood Cinnamon Sugar Doughnut Popcorn Closeup

I brought this up in a short review on Instagram last year, but no one else seemed to notice: this popcorn seasoning is Cheetos Sweetos dust. I knew instantly because I ADORE Sweetos and could recognize that sweet cinnamon-y cheetle anywhere (I’ve had over ten bags since their inception), and this year I was able to confirm it. For the first time ever, Cheetos’ Bag of Bones is available in Cinnamon Sugar (aka spooky Sweetos), and the ingredients check out – brown sugar, spices (including cinnamon), buttermilk, and molasses – they’re the same.

Conclusion:

Smartfood cinnamon sugar-flavored popcorn, whether it’s supposed to taste like a doughnut or cookie, is absolutely delicious. It’s a higher volume and lower calorie way to get my Sweetos fix, and while it may not have the same oily fatty airy crunch of a puffed Cheeto, it has the satisfying salty snap of popcorn, and I’m already trying to hunt down my next bag.

Purchased Price: $1.99
Size: 2 oz bag
Purchased at: ampm
Rating: 9 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2 1/2 cups – 28 grams) 150 calories, 8 grams of fat, 1 gram of saturated fat, 0 grams of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 140 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of fiber, 4 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.

REVIEW: Smartfood Snickerdoodle Popcorn

Brandon 2 Comments

Smartfood Snickerdoodle Popcorn Bag

What is Smartfood Snickerdoodle Popcorn

From the pre-popped popcorn giant Smartfood comes Snickerdoodle, a “limited holiday flavor” meant to capture the magical, Home Ec essence of buttery cinnamon-sugar cookies. It is not Smartfood’s only sweet popcorn offering. Its regular lineup includes kettle corn and a caramel/cheddar combo. But it ties with this year’s earlier offerings of Caramel & Cinnamon Apple Mix and Cap’n Crunch Berries Popcorn Mix in terms of ambitiousness.

How is it?

Perfectly mediocre, I’m afraid. While the concept is a wonderful one — soft, warm, cinnamon blasted cookies in popcorn form! — the execution is lackluster. There is no uniformity, really, with about every tenth piece achieving a perfect nirvana of true Snickerdoodle bliss.

Smartfood Snickerdoodle Popcorn Seasoning

The pieces that escape the cinnamon-sugar bath are bland and unseasoned, small, chewy bits of lightly salted styrofoam. Also disappointing is the lack of a discernible butter profile, a key component of the cookie experience.

Anything else you need to know?

Smartfood White Cheddar is wonderful, so I had high hopes for this. Alas, my heart was broken. Additionally, I had no idea that the brand also has Hot Buffalo and Sour Cream & Onion versions. Are these any good? I guess that’s more of a “anything else *I* need to know.”

Conclusion:

Lots of moderately sized cities seem to have “gourmet” popcorn shops these days, and, in my experience, most of these have some riff on the “cinnamon toast” popcorn variety. So do yourself a favor and get a bag of that, instead. Chances are, you’ll be much happier.

If you don’t have a gourmet popcorn shop, you should open one. And if you don’t want to do that, maybe go with a bag of Pop Secret and hit it with some of the Cinnamon Toast Crunch Cinnadust we recently reviewed. I feel like that would still beat this.

Purchased Price: $3.99
Size: 6.25 oz bag
Purchased at: Hy-Vee
Rating: 5 out of 10
Nutrition Facts: (2.5 cups) 150 calories, 8 grams of fat, 1 grams of saturated fat, 0 gram of trans fat, 0 milligrams of cholesterol, 140 milligrams of sodium, 17 grams of carbohydrates, 2 grams of dietary fiber, 4 grams of sugar, and 2 grams of protein.